1. By: Tequila Donnelly

2.  This happens when your immune system is harmed and mistakenly attacks the healthy tissues in your body.

3.  Inflammation, which leads to swelling in the joints.  Stiffness  Pain  Loss of function in the joints  Chest pains when you breathe  Dry eyes and mouth will occur  Your hands and feet start burning sometimes.  You would also have nodules under your skin

4.  Between the years 1995 and 2007, 41 per 100,00 people were diagnosed with RA per year.  8.7 per 100,000 of those people were between the ages of 18 to 34  As of right now 2012 there are 1.5 million U.S adults that have RA

5.  There aren’t really many treatments for RA. Physical, and occupational therapy, and exercising a lot is a good way to keep RA under control. They would give you medicine for pain release and if you have inflammation they would give you pills to release joint inflammation.

6.  Joint damage usually starts in the beginning of you getting RA.  RA sometimes comes and goes, for an example you could have RA for about 2 years then it’ll go away and sometimes comes back.  Some people who have RA get many surgerys to help them with the pain, during the surgery the surgeon would repair all of the damaged joints and tendons.  Usaully if your stress level is down inflammation would occur less. That’s why some people do yoga and just relax.  If you have any symptoms of RA you should go to the doctors so they can stop it early.

7.  http://inhealth.cnn.com/advances-in- rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment/11-interesting- facts-about-rheumatoid-arthritis http://inhealth.cnn.com/advances-in- rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment/11-interesting- facts-about-rheumatoid-arthritis  http://www.ra.com/ http://www.ra.com/  http://www.cdc.gov/ http://www.cdc.gov/